Mechanics, car repair technicians and other personnel have used a number of creeper devices and rolling seats. Primarily such devices are used below a partially raised vehicle (e.g. a vehicle raised on jacks or driven onto raised wheel supports at the front).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,380 discloses a creeper having an adjustable support platform mounted on a number of wheels. A portion of the elongate support surface is angularly adjustable, with the adjustable joint designed to allow adjustment even if a load is on the support surface. A headrest is included.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,118 discloses a creeper having a tilt adjustable elongate support surface mounted on a number of wheels. A hooking wire structure allows tilt alignment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,744 is a multipurpose utility cart having a rigid platform and a pivotal support bracket that can angularly adjust a support cushion mounted on two arms. The arms are joined at one end to the support bracket. This allows the device to be used as a mechanics creeper when the cushion is lowered. When the support cushion is raised by angular adjustment of the arm position using the bracket, the device may be used as a mobile seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,122 discloses a mechanics reclining chair mounted on a rectangular wheeled platform having a molded plastic chair affixed to the platform. The back is reclined by raising the front of the chair using a pair of struts mounted onto the frame. A drawer beneath the seat may be included.
All of the above creeper devices are designed for working underneath a car, either exclusively or as one of the intended uses. For this reason the width of the wheeled device must be sufficiently narrower than the distance separating the inner surfaces of the tires such that sufficient clearance of the creeper between the vehicle tires is provided. Such devices are commonly less than shoulder width apart, and nothing extends from the sides of these creeper devices. While this allows a user to move past wheel stands, it limits the location for placement of tools or required materials.
Such features make the disclosed creepers less useful for those who are not working underneath a car, but along the sides of the car. In these applications, the creeper device does not have to be only as wide as the wheelbase. For example, during auto detailing, e.g. automotive cleaning, polishing, waxing, etc. and also during standard or custom automotive painting work (including prep work), the creeper device is moved about the exterior of the automobile as the lower areas of the automobile are worked on. Another example could be interior house painting of lower wall and trim areas or any type of application that requires working on low areas. During the process of any of these examples it would be convenient if a number of different products, e.g. cleaners, polishes, waxes and paint) and supplies or tools were easily accessible. In addition, the storing of these various products and supplies or tools in a stable location on the creeper would prevent a worker from unintentionally knocking over a product, supply or tool while working on the lower areas of an automobile or other vehicle [or in other applications such as interior house painting or other applications that require working on low areas]. This is less of a problem for creepers used under vehicles, where the creeper is moved most commonly to a single location and fewer products which can be upturned are used.
It is an object of the invention to provide a creeper that can be used during auto detailing standard or custom painting of an automobiles exterior (including prep work) and other similar work such as interior house painting of lower wall areas and trim or any application that requires working on lower areas, and allow multiple products and supplies to be securely held on the creeper.